Allegiance and Acquaintances
by Angel of Neptune
Summary: Interested in taking in a certain werewolf, Regina gives orders to the one guard she trusts most.


**Title**: Allegiance and Acquaintances

**Author:** AoN

**Word Count:** 1,500

**Genre:** General

**Rating:** PG

**Feedback:** Please and thank you! Let me know what I'm doing right or doing wrong.

**Summary: **Interested in taking in a certain werewolf, Regina gives orders to the one guard she trusts most.

The corners of her full lips curled into a wicked smirk as she pulled the rim of the glass and the sweet red wine it contained from them. The queen leaned back in a chair befitting for a throne for any modest royal of which Regina was not. This was a life into which she was forced. Given such, she would live it with a grand extravagance: décor that those peasants would not be able to afford in multiple life times, a food of such decadence of which was unheard in any of the villages, and drink from lands rumored to only be legend by the common people. The wine was Regina's favorite.

It dulled the pain of revelation that this was not the life she had wanted for herself; this life was a far cry from that of a wife of a stable boy.

Resting her elbow against the armrest, she propped her head up lazily with her hand, licking the residue of wine from her lips. Her dark eyes narrowed with slight interest at the scene unfolding before one of her many mirrors. The sight, which the queen had never seen before in her life, made her sit up a bit straighter. A young girl, hardly a woman, transformed, right before her, into a beast – a magnificent wolf. A werewolf – a living legend.

How did Snow come to meet such a creature? How was she not ripped to shreds and pieces by such a bloodthirsty animal?

The answer was not a form of magic – Regina did not witness any prior to the transformation. She watched intently as the wolf laid down upon the ground and curled into a tight ball. Snow laid herself against the animal's fury side. The wolf rested its tail on top of Snow, providing her with extra warm to combat the cold night that would soon befall them.

No, not magic at all. It was a power far more potent: the beast kept the power of the conscious human mind. The wolf had full control of its actions – an importance of the greatest value, an incalculable asset.

With another savoring sip from her wine, Regina turned to the guard standing at his post at the entrance to her sitting room.

"Claude," Regina called out.

"Your majesty," he promptly replied, turning to his queen.

Claude was the most attentive of all her guards and one of the select few who had also served the former king. Under the king's previous rule, guards were always posted to keep watch of his new queen – not for the sake of her own protection, as many were lead to think, no.

The guards were posted to ensure that the new queen did not attempt to escape her recently acquired duties. They would stand on their marks silently, not even acknowledge her very existence. Their allegiance still stood with their dear late queen, whose name Regina quickly learned and would soon not forget from the king's frequent, drunken evening visits to her bedchamber.

Claude, however, was different from the rest of them. He began serving the king after the death of the king's first wife; he did not have the same allegiance to the former queen as shared by the other guards.

Whereas the other guards would ignore her existence, he would at the very least try to speak to her. He was a curious fellow and their conversations were rather one-sided during the beginning. Regina had not been entirely sure if this was a trap planned by the king, an attempt to get her to reveal how she really felt about her title and role as queen. She kept to herself as he spoke; she would listen and only reply in order to remind him that he did not seem to understand the concept of his position. He was to guard her, not be a chatty acquaintance. In return, he would daringly remind her that they all needed acquaintances every now and again. Then, he would return to his silent post, as ordered.

None of the other guards behaved in such a way; they all behaved in a professional manner, as they were trained, and their replies were only limited to 'yes, your majesty' or perhaps even 'at once, your majesty.'

But not Claude. He did not behave like the rest of them.

One evening, Regina discovered the reason as to why. He thought his queen had already retired for the evening. He thought it safe to let out a painful hiss and Regina's curiosity got the better of her. Although she did not wish to admit it, they became… well, acquainted.

In short, Regina found herself worrying about Claude's well being.

She noticed him leaning against the wall just outside the entrance to her bedchamber, his ordered position. Upon seeing his queen, he begged her not to report such an issue to the king. He needed this position; he needed to provide for his family – they would starve if he did not have this job. This was the sole livelihood that he had.

It was an injury he sustained during the Ogre Wars that was bothering him, but certainly not enough that it would distract him from his duty, of course not! He had been sent home, no longer a paid soldier. He could not find another way to provide for his family. Yes, the injury would pain him from time to time, it was difficult to stand without a sharp pain in his knee, but his family – he had a daughter. Lucy was her name. Regina reminded him of her.

She did not know what came over here, what possessed her to ask such a question, but Regina found herself questioning if he would enjoy seeing his dear Lucy locked away in such a manner that she was. As a common peasant, this girl had more freedom than her queen. Claude revealed that he was aware, that he was only doing the job assigned to him, but it was not right. How the queen was being held against her will was not right. He had been at war, knew all its different aspects. The queen was being treated no better than a prisoner of war.

The guard cared for _this_ queen. _His_ queen.

Thus began their… friendship, an acquaintance that was no longer one-sided. Regina kept his secret from the king and thus Claude remained employed. Claude helped her sneak away from the palace under the king's and her mother's nose so that Regina could attempt to reclaim her life for herself.

After Regina had achieved a certain grasp with her use of magic, she healed his old injury properly, and after the death of the king, Regina made sure his family would want for not and offered his release from his position so that he could spend more time with them. Claude stayed. He could never pay her back for what she had done for him. He could only continue to show his allegiance to his queen.

"You enjoy the hunt, do you not?" Regina asked, already aware of the answer he would undoubtfully provide. Any time Claude requested off, if not for the sake of his family, was to enjoy a good hunting trip.

"More than most, yes," Claude replied.

"Excellent," Regina commented, turning back to the sight present in her mirror. "I want you to gather your best men - don't bother with the huntsman. He'll only cause you trouble. Snow White's new friend – she's a werewolf – and I want her, alive."

"Alive, your majesty?" Claude repeated for clarification as he stepped away from his post. Any other guard would not have dared. He walked over to his queen's side and took a glance at her mirror, at the prey that he would soon be tracking for her.

"The pelt would clash with the décor, of which I have no intention of redecorating," Regina remarked with a slight shrug of her shoulders as she glimpsed over at him for a moment. "No, I believe this one could be of great use to us."

"We'll leave at once-"

"No," Regina interjected. "You will leave in the morning. The beast is most dangerous tonight, during the full moon. We don't need any…" Her voice trailed off for a second as she debated saying something else. "Unnecessary deaths among the guards."

Unnecessary deaths, meaning his own.

The stories were less frequent now, but it was not long ago when they heard the rumors coming from a distant village: a wolf terrorized and brutally slaughtered not only the local livestock, but also the men who dared went after it. If this were the same beast, then Regina would not risk her guards' lives not when it could easily be avoided, Claude's especially, for the sake of his family, obviously. They only had to wait for the night to pass.

"Yes," Claude agreed. "Of course, your majesty."

_**End**_


End file.
